This has been the suspicion of many — that jueteng money killed Polly Pobeda.

Polly’s many diatribes dealt centrally on illegal gambling in Lucena City, among other exposes he dished out daily in his radio program, NOSI BALASI. He had consistently criticized the local leaders about the proliferation and unabated operation of the illegal numbers. The monthly payola ranging from P1.4M to P1.6M each going to those local leaders had apparently gone to their heads that the thought of snuffing the life of one courageous broadcaster did not mean anything at all.

Human nature has not changed after all these millennia. Hubris made ancient Roman leaders fall from grace. Modern history likewise tells us that it was hubris that blinded home-grown dictators in persecuting their perceived enemies without thinking of the implications. Hubris-filled so-called leaders think that if people forgave them for stealing, one murder won’t be noticed.

Think about this.

You think that you are unsinkable for lack of a credible and formidable opponent come May, 2004. You believe that you are unbeatable. You have at your disposal P200M in 20% development fund. You have the support of fawning contractors who have chipped in 15%-20% SOPs from various infrastructure projects every year. And to top it all, you have P1.4 to P1.6 monthly jueteng intelligencia. What else can you ask for? You are on top of the world. You feel that you have the power and the glory, people scamper and queue at your beck and call. And then, there is that discordant voice coming from the boundary of Broadcast Village, Red V, Lucena City trumpeting and itemizing what you have stolen last year, last month, last week, and even yesterday. You become restless. Or, as Gene Hackman said in his old movie “The Legionnaire”, “one of my men became restless!” You are rich and powerful and how-dare-that-voice accuse you of high crimes. Assuming they are true, he had no business exposing them. For making you sleepless and anxious, he has to be silenced.

The monthly jueteng money is a lot of money that can blur better judgments of lesser men. And the men who killed Polly Pobeda, unfortunately for Quezon Province and Lucena are lesser men, more minimized by the factotums with bloated stomachs surrounding them. “Sampolan na, ika”. “Magkano ba?” ” Tawari!” “Pag may tumumba diyan, tigil lahat yan, ika”. “Tawari raw, sabi ni boss.” They have the money and yet they still scrimp for the price of one life!

Jueteng money made them some kind of gods. Polly Pobeda was only a lowly mortal who could be deleted anytime.

Mercifully, the men who killed Polly Pobeda were wrong. Sooner and never later, they shall be found out and meted the resolute justice that they deserve.

Jueteng money killed Polly. Isn’t it time to say enough is enough?